Car-axle lubricator, dust-guard, and wiper.



Patented Jan. 23, I900. J. S. PATTEN. CAR AXLE LUBRICATOR, DUST GUARD,AND WIPER. (No Model.) (Application mad man 1898') 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 y/29 a \IIII/IIIIIIIIIA .Mlllllllllllll WITNESSES a WM- lNVE/VTOH dairiesIQCfQJZZE/L ATTORNEYS,

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H0. 64!,723. Patented Jan. 23, I900. J. S. PATTEN. GAR AXLE LUBRICATOR,DUST GUARD, AND WIPER.

(Application filed Mar. 31. 1898.) (N M dem 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

w T N E V m WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

"m: uuRmS PET'zns (20., womumo WASHINGTON, o. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. PATTEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CAR-AXLE LUBRICATOR, DUST-GUARD, AND WIPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,723, dated January23, 1900.

Application filed. March 31, 1898. Serial No. 675,894. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs S. PATTEN, of Baltimore, in the State ofMaryland, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Axle Lubricator,Dust-Guard, and Wiper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a combined axle-lubricator, dust-guard, and wiper,constituting an improvement upon that for which I have filed anapplication, Serial No. 633,986. The oil employed as the lubricant isheld in the bottom of the axle-box, such as is in ordinary use onrailroads, and is taken up and transferred to the axle-journal by arotating roller or wheel held in a V-shape swinging hanger pivoted inthe arms of springs that also support a dust-guard and hold it in place.

My improvements are embodied in various features of construction andcombination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and shown in theaccompanying drawings, two sheets, in which- Figure 1 is a centrallongitudinal section of an ordinary car-axle box and car-axle with myimproved apparatus applied thereto as in practice. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section of the same on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is areduced face view of the rear upper dustguard. Fig. 3 is an end view ofthe axle-box, part of the lid being broken away. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the upper front portion of my apparatu s. Fig. 5 is aperspectiveview of the remaining portion of said apparatus. Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview illustrating the adaptation of the lubricant-roller hanger forready attachment to or detachment from the arms of thesupporting-spring. Fig. 7 is a rear face view of a portion of the lowerdustguard and wiper. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the cast-metal blank forthe lower dust-guard and wiper.

The axle as, axle-box y, and bearings z are constructed and relativelyarranged in the usual way.

As in my former invention, a roller 1 is journaled in the angle of aswinging slotted V- shape hanger 2, having at its upper endlateraltrunnions or pivots 8, which are detachably connected with thefree ends 4 of springarms 5. The latter are integral extensions of thecurved parallel springs 6, which connect the combined rear dust-guardand wiper 7 and the front dust-guard 8 and hot-box indicator 9. The saidsprings 6 rest on the bottom and lower front portion of the axlebox y,as shown in Fig. 1. The angles of the arms 5 with the body 6 of thesprings are suit-ably constructed to adapt them for piv-' otalconnection at 10 with the rear dust guard 7, whereby the latter mayoscillate and accommodate itself automatically to the axle a: andadjacent rear wall of the axle-box y. The said dust-guard 7 is a thinand duly flexible metal plate, preferably malleable castiron. The curvedupper edge of the same is thickened and provided with a wiper 11, Figs.5 and 7, formed of a leather strip which is clamped and held in place bymeans of flexible claws or fingers 12, formed integrally with the bodyof the plate, on the outer or rear side thereof, and pressed inward uponthe leather strip 11. The upper edge of said strip 11 is practicallyflush with the edge of the plate proper, 7, and both form a wear-surfacethat works in close contact with the axle-journal m. The same functionis performed on the upper side or half of the axle by means of ahorseshoe-shaped dust-guard and wi'per 13, which is shown detached inFig. 2 The same is constructed, like the lower dust-guard 7, preferablyof flexible cast metal and similarly provided with claws for holding aleather strip 13 This dust-guard 13 is inserted in the pocket or narrowcompartment y, formed in the rear end of the axle-box y, and a woodenpiece or cap g is driven into the mouth of said pocket to close the samedusttight. By means of this construction and arrangement of the twocombined dust-guards and wipers, one within and the other exterior tothe pocket y, dust is almost perfectly excluded and the escape of oileffectually prevented.

In the further explanation of the novelty and practical importance ofthe improvement embodied in the construction and arrangement of the twodust-guards, as above described, I will state that the ordinary woodendust-guard is arranged in the pocket y, and if a hot box occurs and thedust-guard thereby becomes charred or if it be rendered useless by wearor other cause it cannot be entirely removed save by first detaching theaxle-box from the journal, which is an opera- ICO tion requiringconsiderable time and labor and involving corresponding expense. I avoidthese results by combining two dustguards which are so constructed andarranged as to be detachable independently without requiring removal ofthe axle-box from the journal-that is to say, the lower dust-guard 7 isarranged within the box y, but outside the pocket y, and is thus adaptedto be applied and removed through the mouth of the box, while the upperone, 13, is arranged in said pocket y and applied and removed throughthe mouth of the same, and, further, its arms or lower portions (seeFig. 2) are of such length and constructed with straight and parallelouter edges, which come in contact with the sides of the pocket, thatthe guard will retain its position in the pocket y without the aid ofany other means or device. The said arms of the guard 13 extend belowthe center of the journal as, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

As a means for removing from the journal 00 the main portion of thesurplus oil taken up by the roller 1 I employ wipers formed byprojections 11L on the front face of the lower dust-guard 7. (See Figs.5 and 8.) These projections are integral hollow or grooved arms standingat right angles to the body of the plate and having elongated leatherpieces 15 clamped between their parallel flexible sides, which are forthat purpose pressed or bent inward to the required extent. The saidpieces 15 extend along and work in contact with the journal proper, 03,at points which are opposite and immediately adjacent to the curvedshoulder of the same. They thus serve to wipe off the main portion ofthe oil, which flows rearward along the journal, so that a comparativelysmall quantity reaches the point where the dust-guards 7 and 13 arelocated. Both the arms 1a and claws or fingers 12 of dust-guard plate 7(see Fig. 8) are cast with the said plate-body 7 at right anglesthereto, so that the blank-casting will draw easily from the mold. Theprojections 12 are subsequently bent or curved upward and the sides ofthe arms 11 bent slightly inward to clamp the respective leather stripsor pieces 11 and 15.

The construction of the two dust-guards is the simplest possible, yetthe distribution of metal is such as combine maximum lightness andstrength with great efliciency in use and adaptation for convenientremoval.

The lower edge of the flanged wheel or roller 1 runs in the oil held inaxle-box y and in close working contact with the journal 00 by means ofthe resiliency of the arms 5, supporting the hanger 2. The latterswinging free on its trunnions 3, the wheel accommodates itself to thejournal under all conditions.

The axle 16 of the roller 1 is flattened at its ends or otherwise madepolygonal and fitted in corresponding notches in the angles of theslotted hanger 2,whereby it is prevented from rotating with the roller.To confine the axle 16 securely and yet provide for its easy detachmentfrom the hanger 2 when required for substituting a new wheel or forother purpose, prongs 17, Fig. 2, composed of flexible metal, preferablycopper, are cast and embedded in the body of the hanger 2 andsubsequently bent down upon the axle ends, as shown. The said prongs 17may, however, be formed of integral portions of the hanger.

As shown in Fig. 6, the free ends 4 of the spring-arms 5 are curved toform circular bearings for the trunnions 3 of the hanger 2; but suchcircular bearings are not closed, a narrow space at 18 being left forpassage of lateral projections 3 on the trunnions 3-that is to say, suchprojections 3 are pendent from the outer ends of the trunnions 3 whenthe hanger 2 is in vertical position and engage the side edges of thebearings 4, as shown best in Fig. 5. It is apparent that when in thisposition the hanger2 cannot be detached either accidentally or bydesign; but when the hanger 2 and wheel 1 are swung up and backward tothe horizontal position shown in Fig. 6 the trunnions 3 may be separatedfrom the bearings 4, since the projections 3 will then slide laterallythrough the slot or space 18, before referred to. This feature of easyconnection and separation of the hanger and its bearingsis of muchimportance and does not afiect the efficiency of the apparatus as awhole. 1

The hot-box indicator 9, which is similar to that described in myaforesaid application, is attached to the upper outer ends of thesprings 6, as in such former invention, and consists of a sheet-metalbox having perforations or openings and a filling of hair, felt, or someequivalent substance whose volatile element vaporizes at a temperatureconsiderably below that required to produce a hot box. The ends of thebox proper are formed of flexible portions or sections which are bentinward after the filling has been inserted.

The front dust-guard 8 is a fiat and thin metal plate riveted to andsupported by the springs 6 and made of such lineal dimensions as toexceed the size of the mouth of the axlebox y, which it is arranged tocover. It lies directly under the hinged lid U3 of the axlebox, thehinge or joint of the latter as usually constructed being suflicientlyloose to allow this. The plate 8 serves to exclude dust much moreeffectually than the axle-box lid is capable of doing, besides aiding inholding the hotbox indicator in due position.

What I claim is-- 1. The rear dust-guard whose body is constructed offlexible metal, the same having inwardly-projecting hollow arms arrangedat the opposite ends thereof and adapted for holding and securing wipersproper, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the axle-journal and axle-box, of the lower reardust-guard and wiper comprising the plate composed of flexible metal andhaving inwardly-projecting hollow arms, and the leather pieces arrangedin such arms and clamped by the -inwardly-bent sides of the latter, asshown and described.

3. The blank for the rear dust-guard and wiper, constructed of metalhaving a due degree of flexibility, as specified, the same comprising afiat curved body having a series of claws or fingers projecting from therear side or face at right angles thereto, and the hollow armsprojecting from the opposite, or inner face of the body also at rightangles thereto, whereby the blank is adapted to be drawn from the mold,as specified.

4. In an axle-lubricator, the combination, with the supportingspring-arms having open bearings, of the roller-hanger having trunnionswhich are detachable from such bearings, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In an axle-lubricator, the combination, with the supporting-springs,having bearings constructed with a space or slot as specified, of theroller-hanger having trunnions provided with projections adapted to passthrough such slots when in one position and to engage the bearings whenthe hanger is in pendent or working position, substantially as shown anddescribed. 7

6. The combination with spring-supports, of the V-shape roller-hangerhaving end trunnions or pivots provided with pendent projections, as andfor the purpose specified 7. The combination with the axle-box frontdust-guard composed of a thin metal plate, adapted to extend over themouth of the axleboX, and supporting-springs connected with such plateand extending to and resting upon the bottom of said axle-box,substantially as shown and described.

JAMES S. PATTEN.

Witnesses:

AMos W. HART, SoLoN O. KEMON.

